The Brothers Mario: Act I - The Plague
by onemikey
Summary: An apocalyptic re-imagining of the Super Mario Bros. mythology in the form of a screenplay: Mario strives to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser while a plague wreaks havoc all across the Mushroom World.


"THE BROTHERS MARIO"

An apocalyptic re-imagining of the Super Mario Bros. mythology

Screenplay by Mike Schneider

ACT ONE: THE PLAGUE

the .com

**EXT. THE FOREST | SUNSET**

A tiny clearing within a dense but alluring forest. The air is still. The trees are calm. There is quiet. A perfect place to take a nap or even sleep the day away...

Until a MILD EXPLOSION - originating underground - opens a HOLE IN THE EARTH. Dirt and rock erupt, then settle, as a skinny trail of black smoke wafts into the air.

Finally, a thin, middle-aged JAPANESE MAN surfaces. He is wearing a suit and holding an ALUMINUM CANISTER with the top sealed off like a thermos.

The Japanese Man gazes up at the sky and watches the sunset...

**EXT. THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM | SUNSET**

A lush peninsula with an island-like atmosphere. If a place could be too beautiful, this would be a contender.

Small but pitch perfect homes built on equal-sized plots of land dot the landscape. Gardens and farms are prevalent, the drivers of an agriculture-based economy.

SUPER: THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM, THE MUSHROOM WORLD

Soaring above the rest of the skyline is a MAGNIFICENT WHITE CASTLE, trimmed in gold.

SUPER: THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH TOADSTOOL

In time, the sun finishes descending and the kingdom quietly shuts down for the night. This is the moment the Japanese Man was waiting for. He emerges from the forest. Unfettered, he walks along a finely graveled road towards a RESERVOIR.

The Japanese Man arrives at the reservoir, which has been PIPED IN to a WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM. Using his fist, he breaks open the plastic casing around the filter.

Next, he unscrews the lid on the aluminum canister and turns the open container upside down -

GREEN, ACIDIC SLUDGE pours out into the water filtration system... And the Japanese Man begins to cry.

**EXT. DARK LAND | NIGHT**

Here, in contrast to the Mushroom Kingdom, there is only night. The sky is the deepest matte black. No clouds, stars, or moons. It is the void.

Across the landscape, however, jagged hills, black foliage, and medieval buildings manufacture a hot glow, like magma. They are their own light source, the lone light source.

SUPER: DARK LAND, THE MUSHROOM WORLD

There is no activity on the roads. Every single creature is stowed away, inactive...

Except for the Japanese Man, who is able to move unburdened as a result. Carrying another ALUMINUM CANISTER, he approaches a bridge to a floating island made of volcanic rock, where a CRIMSON CASTLE looms, massive and ominous.

SUPER: THE CASTLE OF KING BOWSER KOOPA

The Japanese Man stops, studies the castle. His eyes contain the residue of tears. He wipes it away. And then crosses the bridge, heading for the castle...

CUT TO BLACK.

ONE YEAR LATER

FADE TO:

**EXT. THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM | DAY**

The sun shines as brightly as before, but the environment has taken on a much darker hue.

**A PLAGUE has beset the Mushroom Kingdom.**

The streets are littered with HOMELESS, a mixture of humans and short, pale-skinned "toads" that look very much like people but are distinguished by having two dots for noses and by wearing giant mushrooms on their heads like hats.

Pieces of their SKIN have begun to DECAY. BONES are EXPOSED in spots where the FLESH has ERODED and fallen away. Some have lost fingers. Faces are breaking apart. Legs are hobbled.

These are THE AFFLICTED. They beg in the streets like lepers.

Healthy individuals navigate a marketplace, deflecting the afflicted while dressed in clothes that cover their entire bodies, including gloves and surgical masks.

Great care is taken by the unafflicted to avoid being touched by those who are ailing. For their part, the afflicted tease this notion, hoping to inspire acts of financial charity.

Through this gauntlet of indigence, we follow one healthy man as he trudges onward, carrying a pipe wrench, wearing weathered overalls and an iconic red shirt/hat combo...

The man, of course, is the plumber and hero MARIO aka "Super Mario." It has been 30 years since the first time he rescued the Princess from Bowser. He is now 52 years old. He looks every bit his age... And more.

While Mario's body still appears strong, his posture reflects the physical toll a countless number of adventures has taken.

The afflicted call out to him -

AFFLICTED: Mario. Super Mario. You save the Princess. Please, save us! We beg of you. It would make Rescue Day all the better...

Mario lowers his head to ignore them, a gesture born not out of callousness but out of helplessness.

After exiting the marketplace and leaving the rash of afflicted behind, he digs his knuckles into the small of his back, a useless attempt to extinguish a permanent ache. Grimacing, he looks back at the afflicted...

MARIO: We're all going to die.

**EXT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH | DAY**

Mario sets down his tools and holds out his arms for a pair of GUARDS suited in heavy surgical scrubs. Hoods cover their heads. Thick gloves coat their hands. Not a single segment of flesh is exposed.

The guards inspect Mario for signs of sickness. Finding nothing, they open the gates...

**INT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH | DAY**

Mario enters a gorgeous marble foyer lined with pink rugs. The walls are covered with portraits of the Princess, all depicting her as a beautiful woman in the prime of her life.

The Princess's ward, TOADSWORTH, an elderly toad with a white handlebar mustache and small round glasses, awaits at a distance, holding a cane. He greets Mario with an English accent -

TOADSWORTH: Tally-ho, Mario. You had no problem navigating the throngs?

Despite the chipper language, his mood is decidedly grim.

MARIO: The usual. They want help.

As Mario walks to Toadsworth, he gazes at each and every portrait of the Princess, adding -

MARIO: I'm good at two things, my trade and rescuing the Princess when needed. A plague...

Mario shakes his head, faces Toadsworth.

TOADSWORTH: Deep down they recognize that.

MARIO: I'm not so sure they do. Is she here?

TOADSWORTH: Currently indisposed, regrettably.

Mario's first thought causes a look of alarm.

TOADSWORTH: No no, not that. Thank heavens. Only a bit of a cold. She's been discussing the latest research with the scientists... Exhausting, particularly with all the preparations for Rescue Day.

MARIO: What about the scientists? They getting anywhere?

TOADSWORTH: I shouldn't comment, but... They've shown some progress towards a cure. She believes she can press them into getting all the way there.

He says this, yet the dourness of his demeanor is somewhat of a contradiction. Mario, however, shows full confidence.

MARIO: I know she can.

TOADSWORTH: Enough of that for now though. There's plumbing to be fixed! A clog in her shower drain, specifically.

Toadsworth leads Mario up a grandiose spiral staircase -

**INT. PRINCESS PEACH'S BEDROOM / BATHROOM | MOMENTS LATER**

Echoing voices awaken PRINCESS PEACH (47) in her gigantic canopy bed, entirely adorned in pink. Although now middle- aged, she desperately clings to the appearance of her youth through heavy make-up and plastic surgery.

Sleeping next to her is a naked young man, the perfect physical specimen. The Princess untangles herself from him to leave the bed. She puts on a robe, pink of course, and heads for the door to the master bathroom, which is cracked.

At the same time, Toadsworth ushers Mario inside the bathroom from the hallway, where there is a second door.

MARIO: Might need to come back with a snake, but we'll see.

TOADSWORTH: Pip-pip, Mario. Pip-pip.

Toadsworth exits. Peach watches Mario step into the shower, drop to his knees, and work on the drain with a screwdriver. Every movement appears to cause him some amount of minor pain.

After he finishes unscrewing the drain, he cocks his head - and catches the Princess in the doorway. She almost shuts the door on him, but stops. Rather, she slips inside the bathroom and gently closes the door behind her.

MARIO: How's your cold?

Peach sniffles, wipes her nose. She shrugs.

PRINCESS PEACH: Thank you for asking though.

MARIO: Still coming to look at the floats later?

PRINCESS PEACH: Oh yes, I'll make it. You shall see me there.

MARIO: Good. My favorite time of year.

PRINCESS PEACH: I would be concerned only if it weren't. How could you not enjoy being celebrated and adored so lavishly?

MARIO: Plus, I get to have you at my side.

He smiles. She courteously does the same and then turns, as if to go.

MARIO: Peach, you know...

She waits. He's searching for the right words, working through how to verbalize something that's been on his mind.

MARIO: This year, for the first time...

Maybe it's just the plague, I don't know, but I had this thought. I wondered, How many more Rescue Days are we gonna have?

PRINCESS PEACH: Why would you say that, Mario? We'll have more. Many more.

MARIO Me and you won't live forever. No matter what. I haven't found anybody else. Neither have you. Never got married after all these years. You ever think about that?

PRINCESS PEACH: I've had romances. I've been happy.

MARIO: I know, but sometimes I think back. A lot of times I do. Especially now with what's happening out there... I wish things had gone different.

PRINCESS PEACH: Where is this coming from all of a sudden? You sound like the public or the press, conjuring fantasies about us as if we were destined to be lovers.

MARIO: Maybe we are.

PRINCESS PEACH: I cherish what you've done for me. Who knows what terrors I might have experienced inside Bowser's castle had it not been for you rescuing me time and again. But we had our moment.

She starts to leave.

MARIO: Just think about it.

PRINCESS PEACH: I'm leaving.

She does, closing the door.

Mario looks down the open drain for the first time. His face scrunches up at the extent of the clog. He stares at the door to the Princess's bedroom... Then screws the drain cover back on just as Toadsworth returns.

TOADSWORTH: Prognosis?

MARIO: Need the snake. I'll come back after we go over the floats.

He climbs out of the shower.

MARIO: Was gonna ask if she wanted to walk over together, but I figure she needs some time to get ready.

TOADSWORTH: A probable bet, yes. Indeed. We'll see you there then.

Mario nods and goes.

**EXT. DARK LAND | NIGHT**

A smattering of villains Mario has repeatedly battled wander the streets. Mushroom-shaped GOOMBAS, square SHY GUYS, snapping turtle-like KOOPAS... All portrayed here as hard and vicious.

Many, however, are not right. Plenty appear to be DISPLACED and HOMELESS. The movements of these creatures are stilted, as if it hurts to walk, as if they are ill.

**In fact, the PLAGUE has beset Dark Land as well**.

As seen in the Mushroom Kingdom, FLESH is in DECAY. BONES are VISIBLE. Some creatures have had ENTIRE CHUNKS of their BODIES completely break off.

Those that are healthy eyeball the others that are afflicted. Upon seeing the sickness out in the open, many duck inside. An accusatory air permeates. A paranoia...

**INT. THE CASTLE OF KING BOWSER, THRONE ROOM | NIGHT**

A vast chamber, open to the black sky above. A SUSPENDED BRIDGE extends from the entrance, across a lagoon of BOILING LAVA and to a RAISED DAIS, the centerpiece of the room.

On top of the platform, a THRONE MADE OF BONES, large enough to hold the fifteen-foot tall, 600-pound frame of KING BOWSER KOOPA, the obsessive, vengeful ruler of Dark Land.

Now middle-aged, his Tyrannosaurus Rex-like face is creased and scarred. Underneath a golden, but weathered, CROWN is an untamed shock of red hair. The shell that covers his back may be chipped and scuffed but its spikes are freshly sharpened.

In truth, Bowser has lived a life of failure. But any sadness he might have might felt in the past has been replaced with anger and cruelty.

We have, however, caught him in a deeply pensive moment. He takes off his crown... Then rears back his head -

And BREATHES FIRE through the OPENING IN THE CEILING, launching a TREMENDOUS FIREBALL into the night.

On cue, the doors to the throne room open.

Enter Bowser's rather aloof oldest son and second-in-command, LUDWIG VON KOOPA, an aspiring composer in his late twenties who would prefer to traffic in art not violence - much to the chagrin of his father.

Consequently, Ludwig's part-dinosaur part-turtle face and body and the shell on his back are unmarred by combat. On his head, deep blue waves of hair are neatly styled, parted down the middle.

Ludwig holds onto a rope, tied to an AFFLICTED SHY GUY like a LEASH. The boxy red and white creature with a ghost-like face has lost flesh due to the plague - its entire left side slopes inward.

LUDWIG: I've been lingering outside for minutes, Father. With this poor specimen-

BOWSER: I regret to declare you've wasted your time.

LUDWIG: What? I thought this one's ailments were-

BOWSER: Unique, yes. Remove it from the castle.

The Shy Guy shakes in terror.

LUDWIG: After I deliver the subject to the laboratory, I'll be in the piano room, if you require me.

BOWSER: You'll do neither.

Ludwig is incredulous.

LUDWIG: Then what _will _I do?

BOWSER First, you will release the afflicted. Then you will put it in charge of its own battalion.

The Shy Guy shrinks in disbelief. Ludwig expands from shock into anger.

LUDWIG: This creature has been living in squalor, eroding like all the others. It can't command the respect of a battalion!

BOWSER: Ludwig, you will do as I say, and you will do it now.

Acquiescing, Ludwig lets go of the rope. He is unable to look at the Shy Guy - who bows to Bowser and exits the throne room, dragging the rope behind.

LUDWIG: You took away its only chance to be a contributing member of society. The scientists would have benefitted from experimenting on it. The army will chew it up and spit it out.

BOWSER: In time, you will find yourself on the wrong side of history with that argument.

Ludwig begins to leave.

LUDWIG: I'm going to work on a composition.

BOWSER: Stay in this room.

Without saying a word, Ludwig relents.

BOWSER: The doors, Ludwig.

To protest, he takes far longer to draw closed the doors than he should. Afterwards, he faces Bowser, sulking.

BOWSER: The scientists have lost hope for a cure.

LUDWIG: They're working feverishly.

BOWSER: I have demanded that they lose hope.

LUDWIG: You're moving forward with the proposal for eradication...

Silence. Ludwig grows anxious.

LUDWIG: Larry can lead the killing. I shouldn't have to take part. I don't-

BOWSER: You have other interests, I know.

Bowser stares down his son.

BOWSER: Come closer.

A cautious Ludwig steps towards his father...

BOWSER: I show you this in confidence.

LUDWIG: Of course, Father.

Bowser extends his fist out towards Ludwig.

BOWSER: The plague has come to me.

Ludwig shudders, then recoils. A splotch of FLESH on BOWSER'S HAND has begun to DECAY. BLOOD and BONE and SINEW can be seen underneath.

BOWSER: You retreat from your own Father. Are you disgusted by me?

Bowser comes off the throne, stalks after Ludwig...

LUDWIG: Not by you, Father. By your condition.

Bowser grabs a squeamish Ludwig with his healthy fist and lifts him into the air. Ludwig squirms -

And Bowser drags his ailing flesh across the side of his son's face before throwing him to the ground.

Ludwig becomes frantic, wiping at his skin.

LUDWIG: You've given me the plague!

BOWSER: I've given you a gift.

LUDWIG: What?! Have you lost your mind?!

BOWSER: Inform everyone we leave tonight.

LUDWIG: We can't go anywhere now!

BOWSER: We can go anywhere we want, especially the Mushroom Kingdom.

LUDWIG: But we aren't prepared! Luigi hasn't even been diverted, let alone Mario.

BOWSER: I want the entire army at my side.

Ludwig is further stricken by this revelation.

LUDWIG: For a simple abduction? Use the Hammer Brothers.

BOWSER: Not this time.

LUDWIG: You're not making any sense! You want to get the Princess, but you also want us to die from the plague. Why?!

BOWSER: If you were in possession of the same knowledge I am you would understand that question is irrelevant.

Bowser glares at his confused son.

BOWSER: Our siege goes through Sarasaland.

**EXT. SUPER MARIO BROS PLUMBING / MARIO AND LUIGI'S HOME | DAY**

A modest storefront, attached to a garage and a two-bedroom home. This is where Mario and Luigi both live and work.

The buildings are lorded over by an enormous sign spelling out "SUPER MARIO BROTHERS PLUMBING". Notably, the word "MARIO" is larger than all the others.

A photorealistic rendering of Mario, his fist raised, soars over top of the lettering while a similarly styled depiction of Luigi stands underneath the sign, holding it up.

A SWARM OF AFFLICTED toads and humans camps out in front of the buildings, ostensibly seeking assistance from their hero, Mario.

Onto the property walks LUIGI himself.

As Mario's twin, Luigi is a near-replica of his brother. The differences are slight: thinner, two inches shorter, his cap is green. His overalls are baggier and more rumpled.

Over time it will become evident that Luigi has lived in Mario's shadow his entire life. Still, he talks big. Unfortunately, he acts quite a bit smaller.

LUIGI: They're back.

Luigi says this to the creature at the other end of the leash he clutches in his hand.

The creature resembles a GREEN RAPTOR with a bumpy red fin running from the top of its head down its neck. Though fearsome, this is YOSHI, the Mario Brothers' loyal pet.

AFFLICTED: Mario. Where's Mario?

LUIGI: Not here. He's not with me.

Luigi walks forward.

AFFLICTED: We need Mario. Only he can save us.

The afflicted grow boisterous. They channel towards Luigi. Quickly, the situation turns threatening. Luigi locks up out of fear. The afflicted near him... Until Yoshi BEARS HIS TEETH and ROARS - and the afflicted recoil. Separate.

AFFLICTED: Not Yoshi. Keep him away- Get him out.

A pathway opens for Luigi to safely reach the front door of the house. Yoshi snarls and sizes up the afflicted, insuring that they all stay back.

Luigi unlocks the door. He hesitates, then turns to face the afflicted, who have now scattered.

LUIGI: What if I could help you?

The afflicted stare back at him. They say nothing. Luigi goes inside. We hear the door lock.

**INT. MARIO AND LUIGI'S HOME | DAY**

Sweat stains the front of Luigi's T-shirt. He does sit-ups at a furious pace. Apparently, he has none of the aches and pains of his brother. At the top of his next sit-up -

LUIGI: Four ninety-eight.

Just as someone BANGS on the front door of the house. Luigi is startled, but he keeps working out.

LUIGI: Four ninety-nine. One more.

Another, impatient knock. Still, Luigi finishes number -

LUIGI: Five hundred.

He leans back on the floor, breathes. Now, incessant banging. Finally, he bounces up. After stepping over dumbbells to grab a towel off a portable chin-up bar and wiping down his face, he walks through the house to the front door.

Instead of opening it right away, he peers through the peep hole. He steps back and asks -

LUIGI: Hello?

DELIVERY MAN (O.S.): Delivery.

LUIGI: From who?

DELIVERY MAN (O.S.): Downey's, the Jeweler.

LUIGI: I didn't buy any jewelry.

DELIVERY MAN (O.S.): Not you. Mario.

Puzzled, Luigi hitches open the door. The DELIVERY MAN, sweating from all the clothing he's wearing to cover his body, holds out a GIFT BAG.

DELIVERY MAN: Mario might be upset I came early, but I had to. They keep crowding around the house. I saw them leave. This was my best chance. Can you sign for it?

Luigi does.

DELIVERY MAN: I'm getting out of here.

Luigi closes the door in the wake of the Delivery Man leaving and pulls open the gift bag. He peers inside...

**INT. TOAD'S HOME | DAY**

Sitting at a desk in a lived-in office, TOAD (45) scribbles on a note pad. He is dressed in the billowy white pants, vest, and mushroom hat we have come to expect.

Physically, Toad has let himself go. His body is plump. His face is worn. But he is not a sad or unsuccessful individual. Rather, he has found satisfaction by having only one interest in life: Mario.

Above the desk is a bookshelf lined with books written by Toad chronicling Mario's numerous rescues of the Princess. Small trophy-like publishing awards act as book ends.

An alarm clock goes off. Excited, Toad leaves the desk. He walks through his average, three bedroom house. It is dusty. There is barely any furniture. No photographs on the walls.

Toad reaches one of the two other bedrooms. It is being used to store memorabilia, all related to Mario, the Princess, and Bowser. A bulky old-fashioned still camera sits on the floor. Toad grabs it and gets ready to go.

**INT. WAREHOUSE | DAY**

An enormous storage space akin to a city bus depot but filled with extravagant PARADE FLOATS, covered in clear plastic and supported by wooden slats.

Although each float has a different design concept, all have been made for the same occasion: The 30th Annual Rescue Day Parade and Celebration.

The content of the floats, which feature handmade, painted carvings, reveals the subject of Rescue Day -

On one, Mario leaps over a fireball another, Mario strikes a Koopa with fending off a Goomba with his boot.

The REAL MARIO stands at the center of the warehouse, alone, fixating on a third float -

A wooden version of himself carrying Princess Peach in the same way a groom might lift his bride over the threshold of a honeymoon suite...

There is a significant CRACK in Float Mario's wrist. As a result, its hand has fallen away from the Princess's back.

Mario slips under the plastic sheeting, climbs onto the float, and extracts a tube of caulk of from his overalls.

Carefully, he squirts the adhesive into the cracked wrist of Float Mario, then holds the hand back in place and waits for the caulk to set. As he does -

TOAD (O.S.): Amazing how long you've been doing this, Mario.

Mario turns to see Toad entering the warehouse, already snapping photographs.

TOAD: Three decades, seventeen rescues overall...

MARIO: A long time. I know.

TOAD: And to think you've given me enough material for at least seventeen more books. I can't find enough time to write.

MARIO: Well, you should have extra time now that it's hard to do much outside. Not that you needed the motivation.

TOAD: No, not that I needed it at all!

Mario lets go of Float Mario's repaired hand. It stays where it should - on the Princess's back. He comes down off the float, frustrated.

MARIO: Some of these things look like hell. I'm tempted to repair a few more myself.

TOAD: Soul of a hero, mind set of a humble plumber - even after all the accolades.

Mario checks his watch.

MARIO: She should be here by now.

TOAD: And still, his loyalty to the honorable Princess Peach Toadstool runs as deep as ever. Surely they share a kind of love for one another. But is it strictly platonic? Or a romance that has smoldered for decades...

MARIO: Why are you talking like that?

TOAD: This is what I've been working on, for a piece about the thirtieth anniversary. How does it sound?

Ignoring Toad, Mario walks towards a float that shows him leaping on top of a missile with a shark-like face. Unlike many of the other floats, it appears polished, new. In the meantime, Toad continues his spiel -

TOAD: The good citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom speculate. Rumors fly back and forth like winged Koopas preparing for assault. Mario rescues the Princess again and again from the evil leader of Dark Land, King Bowser Koopa. Photos are snapped and endlessly scrutinized. Body language is analyzed. Tone of voice is studied. But no hard evidence exists. What could be next for these two, both still unattached after all these years? We may never find out, unless Bowser overcomes his jealousy of the Mushroom Kingdom and its Princess or Mario finds a way to kill Bowser, thereby putting an end to his attempts at vengeance filled tyranny once and for all.

Toad takes a photograph of Mario.

MARIO: Cut out that last part. How am I gonna kill Bowser? Beat him to death with a wrench?

TOAD: You're probably right. Why even suggest it? I'd have plenty of disappointed readers if your adventures came to an end.

Mario reaches the float he's been walking towards. He stares at it. In the rendering, his body is out of proportion. He looks old. The missile is small and weak.

MARIO: _This _is the new float.

Toad joins him. He too is appalled.

TOAD: According to my sources at the palace, the budget had to be trimmed this year...

MARIO: Peach would cut back on champagne before she did that.

TOAD: I'm not sure, Mario. She's never been faced with a crisis on the scale of the plague before either.

Mario taps his foot, looks back at the entrance...

MARIO: Where is she?

TOAD: How long do we wait?

**INT. WAREHOUSE | LATER**

Toad has taken to walking up and down the aisles between floats with his camera, overindulging his desire for close- ups of the various designs.

Mario is slumped on the floor with both hands in his overall pockets, grinding his teeth. Eventually, he gets up to peek outside -

MARIO: Sun's setting. (shaking his head) I promised I'd finish a job at the castle before the end of the day.

TOAD: Let me go with you.

MARIO: Why? So you can see her cold's gotten worse?

A beat. Toad nods.

**EXT. SUPER MARIO BROS PLUMBING | DUSK**

The afflicted have gone.

With angst, Mario throws open the door to the garage. It bounces back and nearly comes crashing down on him, but he's able to catch it with his hand.

**I/E. GARAGE | MOMENTS LATER**

Mario loudly digs through a supply bin, searching for the drain snake. After he finds it, he starts to leave - when Luigi appears outside the garage, holding up a RING BOX.

Mario freezes.

MARIO: Where'd you get that?

LUIGI: Downey's delivered it.

MARIO: They told me it wouldn't be ready til tomorrow.

LUIGI: I had to scare a crowd away again. Delivery guy was afraid he wouldn't get another opening.

MARIO: So is it even done?

LUIGI: I didn't look inside.

Mario curses himself, goes after Luigi.

MARIO: Come on, give me the thing. I need to fix a drain at the castle before sundown.

LUIGI: Sun's already setting.

MARIO: That's my point.

Mario snatches the ring box from Luigi and buries it in the pocket of his overalls.

LUIGI: I feel like I have to say this...

MARIO: Say what?

LUIGI: Don't do it.

MARIO: Because you've been pining for her your whole life.

LUIGI: Oh, right. I keep forgetting. If that were true, I would have done something about it.

MARIO: Says my sidekick.

LUIGI: When was the last time you were with somebody else?

MARIO: You wanna answer the same question?

LUIGI: When haven't you dropped everything the second she told you to?

MARIO: Why are you so angry?

LUIGI: I'm not angry. I'm looking out for you.

MARIO: Like I need you to do that.

LUIGI: You do. You're not thinking straight.

Mario scoffs. A beat.

MARIO: How often do you wake up in the morning and wish Rescue Day was about you instead of me?

LUIGI: I'm your brother, and I think if you propose to her you're going to regret it.

Mario takes a step past Luigi, through the open garage door.

MARIO: I should take Yoshi with me in case anybody acts up.

**EXT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH | NIGHT**

After Mario chains Yoshi to a post on the bridge leading up to the castle, guards again inspect him for signs of disease. Yoshi growls at them for invading his master's privacy.

Once he is cleared, Mario is ushered through the gates with his toolbox and drain snake.

**INT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH | MOMENTS LATER**

The scene in the foyer this time is far different than the last. Toadsworth, for one, is nowhere to be found...

More important, a small PARTY is being staged. A host of YOUNG MEN in their twenties and early thirties, dressed fancifully, drink and cavort with Princess Peach.

The Princess wears a pink, armless gown, as well as a golden crown with pink diamonds. White gloves extend up to her elbows.

She is, as she demands, the center of attention. She is also blatantly drunk.

Obviously, the Princess's "cold" is not so bad she _had _to miss the float review.

Mario stops in his tracks. The weight of the ring box in his overalls suddenly becomes heavy. He is ashamed.

The music, coming from a mini orchestra, is so loud and everyone is so focused on the Princess that no one notices his presence. He nearly walks out. But instead, as he always does, he soldiers on, hoping to get to the job site unseen.

Unfortunately, the drunken Princess notices him walking by -

PRINCESS PEACH: Mario! Super Mario!

She goes to him, smiling. She throws her arms around him, looks in his eyes, nuzzles her head against his chest.

MARIO: Hi, Peach.

Mario's expression reverses dramatically. Even in this state, the Princess has the power to bring him happiness. Somewhat hesitantly, he drops his tools so he can hug her back...

PRINCESS PEACH: Meet my friends.

Mario looks up at the gathering of men, all of whom are now staring at him.

MARIO: Who are they?

Peach turns away from Mario's chest. She points at one man after another -

PRINCESS PEACH: There's William and David and Bartholomew and Theodore. I think! I really have no idea. (to them) I can't remember any of your names!

The sycophants all laugh. Peach whispers in Mario's ear...

PRINCESS PEACH: I'm using you to try to make them jealous.

She cocks back her head and guffaws. Mario goes along with it, laughs too.

PRINCESS PEACH: Silly boy, why are you laughing? That wasn't a joke!

She acts as if this is the funniest thing she's ever said in her life. Mario is far less amused. He releases her.

MARIO: I wanted to talk to you alone.

Grinning, only a touch away from maniacally, she shakes her head back and forth.

MARIO: I got something for you.

PRINCESS PEACH: I already have everything in the world.

MARIO: Why didn't you come to the warehouse?

PRINCESS PEACH: Would any of you like to tell Super Mario why I didn't go see the floats?

The men chatter amongst themselves. None, however, speak out.

PRINCESS PEACH: Okay then, I will. Because there's no point, Mario. Why are you even here?

He picks the snake off the ground.

MARIO: To fix your drain. And-

She cuts him off.

PRINCESS PEACH: And what?

MARIO To ask you something. To give you something.

PRINCESS PEACH: I told you-

MARIO: Come with me.

He reaches for her hand... She bats it away.

PRINCESS PEACH: Whatever you have to give me you can give to me here.

MARIO: Please. Somewhere we can be alone.

PRINCESS PEACH: No!

The Princess is stern. Mario surveys the room. All eyes on him. Even the orchestra has softened its playing.

He sets the snake back down.

Concealing as best he can the aches in his body, Mario gets down on one knee.

PRINCESS PEACH: Oh my GOD.

He plucks the ring box out of his overalls. A hush falls over the crowd.

MARIO: Peach...

He opens the ring box, revealing an engagement ring.

PRINCESS PEACH: 'Your highness.' Address me as your highness.

MARIO: I'm not-

PRINCESS PEACH: You're a commoner. These people may all think you're a hero, but I made you into a hero. You're nothing without me.

MARIO: You're drunk-

PRINCESS PEACH: I may be drunk, but I'm also being honest. Look at yourself! Pathetically interrupting my party with all these gorgeous men to fix my drain. And wait - maybe on the way you'll ask for my hand in marriage?!

She bursts into laughter.

PRINCESS PEACH: No, I will never marry you, Mario. You're a pet, like your dinosaur. I should call you Yoshi.

She faces the crowd -

PRINCESS PEACH: Call him Yoshi. Everyone, call him Yoshi!

The men hesitate. Whatever the circumstance, this is Super Mario, the great hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. But the Princess eggs them on. Finally, they listen, chanting -

THE MEN: Yo-shi, Yo-shi, Yo-shi, Yo-shi...

Mario stands. He collects his tools, turns his back on the Princess and walks away.

PRINCESS PEACH: But what about the drain Mario? What about the drain?

She says this sarcastically, as if she's in the utmost agony. She laughs and laughs and laughs, drunkenly pirouetting back into the arms of her nearest admirer... While Mario leaves the castle.

**EXT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH | MOMENTS LATER**

Behind Mario, the gates close. On the bridge, he crouches, puts his hands on his knees and shuts his eyes. Yoshi bucks towards his master, but the chain restrains him.

Head down, Mario retrieves the ring box from his overalls and, without looking, holds it out over the moat...

But he does not let it go. He puts the ring box back in his pocket and unties Yoshi.

**EXT. SARASALAND | DAY**

A vast stretch of desert featuring Ancient Egyptian style pyramids. Huts are spread out in bunches, built near oases that are few in number.

SUPER: SARASALAND, THE MUSHROOM WORLD

At the center of it all stands an epic castle, constructed in the shape of a pyramid and surrounded by a high cement wall, which makes up for the absence of a moat.

SUPER: THE CASTLE OF THE HUMBLE KING

Like the Mushroom Kingdom, the population of Sarasaland consists of toads and humans - also battling the PLAGUE. Currently, however, they are under a more pressing kind of attack -

BOWSER OVERSEES A FULL-ON ASSAULT OF THE KINGDOM.

Now COVERED HEAD TO TOE in a SUIT OF ARMOR, he storms towards the castle. Koopas, Goombas, and Shy Guys act as FOOT SOLDIERS. Many if not most of these creatures show overt signs of the plague.

THE HAMMER BROTHERS, twin Koopa mercenaries, accompany Bowser. GNARLED and BRUISED are wiry strong, with faces marred by the residue of endless battles. War helmets protect their skulls. Each wields two SLEDGEHAMMERS, one per hand.

Behind them trails Ludwig...

The first signs of the plague are visible on his face. Tiny spots of decay, a patchwork of thin streaks.

He is distant, unnerved by what he is becoming and uninterested in the battle. He gazes off to the side, where his younger brother, LARRY KOOPA, gleefully pursues his own mercurial desires, tormenting a family of toads.

Larry uses his weapon of choice - a CHAIN - to make the toads "dance." Unlike Ludwig and his father, he is gaunt. His hair is cut into a mohawk and dyed turquoise. He looks too old for this style - but it fits his wildly unhinged demeanor.

Turning back, Ludwig braces himself as GUARDS line up to defend the castle...

Bowser removes his helmet - and COATS THEIR RANKS with FIREBALLS, sending them flailing.

Gnarled and Bruised attack. The Hammer Brothers, as we witness now, are sociopaths. No question, their usual intent is to kill - but they also take great pleasure in maiming.

Bowser uses his ARMORED FISTS to DESTROY a SECTION OF THE GREAT WALL that protects the castle, creating an OPENING for him and his minions to penetrate the grounds and breach the entrance. Simultaneously -

A young woman slips out onto a discrete second story balcony and drops to the sand.

This is PRINCESS DAISY (27), a tomboy for whom the words "fragile" and "dainty" do not apply. Wearing an orange and white jumpsuit and gripping a BROKEN CANDELABRA, she races off the castle grounds, past a BURNED GUARD, roiling in pain.

BURNED GUARD: Princess, where-

DAISY: My father will surrender without a fight. We need a hero.

BURNED GUARD: Who?

DAISY: Super Mario.

She kisses her hand, touches his forehead, and runs.

**INT. THE CASTLE OF THE HUMBLE KING | DAY**

The Hammer Brothers continue their wave of destruction, overwhelming the rest of the palace guard, the servants, and anyone else who gets in the way.

Ludwig follows, stepping over the dead bodies Gnarled and Bruised have left in their wake like discarded pieces of trash. All three enter the throne room, where the HUMBLE KING wastes away in a state of panic.

As he struggles to open a TREASURE CHEST, Bruised knocks him to the floor. Gnarled slaps his brother in the helmet, a show of appreciation.

LUDWIG: Leave him.

Ludwig snakes past the Hammer Brothers, who are practically slobbering to murder the Humble King. He opens the chest. Inside is a MAGIC WAND. Its top glows like fireworks.

Ludwig takes the magic wand and presses its hot end against the shoulder of the Humble King, who SEIZURES - and MORPHS into a CATERPILLAR.

With some semblance of regret, Ludwig watches the Humble King - in his new form - crawl across the floor while the Hammer Brothers compare the amount of blood on their sledgehammers.

For a moment, Ludwig looks away, towards an adjoining room, where he discovers an exquisite collection of MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. His eyes light up. Quickly, he looks back down -

The Humble King/caterpillar is about to disappear inside a crack in the floor. Before he can, Ludwig pinches him between his fingers and locks him away inside the treasure chest. Ludwig then heads towards the room with the instruments...

**EXT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS DAISY | DAY**

Having emerged from an open stairwell, Bowser surveys the immediate impact of the invasion of Sarasaland from an observation deck on top of the castle. Below, a speck of a human being can be seen running -

It is PRINCESS DAISY, outrunning the chaos the foot soldiers are creating, barnstorming towards a sand weathered GREEN PIPE that extends vertically out of the ground.

She BASHES one Koopa with her forearm, causing it to suck inside its shell.

A Goomba staggers at her, jaws chomping. She jumps over it - and BEATS DOWN an oncoming Shy Guy with the broken candelabra, using it like a lead pipe with a sharp end.

She charges towards the green pipe, only to be surprised by the Koopa, which SPITS back OUT of its SHELL and SNAPS at her, feverishly -

But she sends it back inside permanently with one STAB of the candelabra.

The Goomba remains. She waits for the creature and its sharp incisors to get close... And then she CLOBBERS it.

Free of the foot soldiers and overconfident, Daisy LEAPS for the TOP OF THE PIPE instead of carefully climbing up it - and it costs her.

Her foot SLIPS. She FALLS. On the way down her head SMACKS the EDGE OF THE PIPE. Her eyes slam closed. She vanishes inside, possibly UNCONSCIOUS - but it appears she has escaped.

We return to Bowser... As Ludwig comes out of the stairwell and onto the observation deck.

LUDWIG: We were successful in removing the king.

BOWSER: It would be good for you to give him the plague. Did you?

Ludwig nods, lying without words. Bowser eyes the spots of plague on his son's face.

BOWSER: Give it to your younger sibling next, wherever his whims may have taken him.

LUDWIG: I was thinking, Father... Maybe I could stay here. Keep control...

BOWSER: We've had a satisfactory test run, Ludwig. Nothing more. Go find Larry...

Bowser turns away from his son. He looks beyond Sarasaland to the Mushroom Kingdom and the castle of Princess Peach, which can be seen in the distance, the next kingdom over...

BOWSER: Peach awaits.

**INT. MARIO AND LUIGI'S HOME, MARIO'S BEDROOM | DAWN**

The sun has started to rise. At 5:30 AM, Mario wakes without the need of an alarm.

He sits up, but it hurts, not just because of his aching body but also because memories of the night before come rushing back, haunting him.

He dangles his legs over the edge of his bed and stares at the emptiness next to him before wiping the cold out of his eyes and looking to the floor.

The pipe wrench and the drain snake lie beneath him.

**LATER**

Mario showers. Several scars on his upper body are noticeable.

**LATER**

Mario leans against the kitchen counter, drinks coffee, and blankly looks out the window at a turret from the castle.

Luigi enters.

LUIGI: Morning.

Mario nods. Luigi opens the cupboard -

MARIO: I made you some already.

A steaming cup of coffee, cream and sugar added, waits for Luigi on the counter.

LUIGI: Thanks.

Luigi sips. He rests against the counter next to Mario.

LUIGI: Didn't see you when you got home last night. How'd the job go?

MARIO: Didn't finish.

LUIGI: You heading back this morning?

MARIO: Not sure.

LUIGI: If you need help, or you need me to take it...

Mario shakes his head.

LUIGI: Not trying to cut in, just...

MARIO: I know.

They drink in silence.

There is a BANG at the sliding glass door in the kitchen. Yoshi, chained up outside, bumps against it. In his jaws, there is a DEAD GOOMBA, bloodied, suggesting Yoshi killed it.

MARIO: What the-

LUIGI: A Goomba...

Mario walks towards the door.

MARIO: Could just be a stray. They never use Goombas to divert us.

He pauses, thinks.

MARIO: You have anything scheduled this morning?

LUIGI: I heard from Toad late last night. Claimed he had an emergency. But you know how he is. Half the time there's nothing wrong, he just wants to see one of us.

MARIO: See what you can find out about this first.

Mario downs the rest of his coffee.

LUIGI: Where are you going?

MARIO: Back to the castle.

LUIGI: You're sure...

MARIO: I promised I'd do the job.

Mario drops his cup of coffee in the sink, then grabs the drain snake and the pipe wrench off the kitchen floor.

**INT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH, FOYER | MORNING**

Whatever residue the party might have left behind has been cleaned up. The foyer is empty except for Toadsworth, who is waiting for Mario...

TOADSWORTH: The sun set and rose, but you came after all.

Forcing himself not to look at the gallery of paintings of the Princess, Mario walks all the way to Toadsworth before -

MARIO: I was here last night.

TOADSWORTH: Oh?

MARIO: Your princess got in the way.

TOADSWORTH: I'm sorry, I don't-

MARIO: Don't lie to me ever again, Toadsworth.

**INT. PRINCESS PEACH'S BATHROOM | MOMENTS LATER**

Mario snakes the drain in the Princess's shower. As it goes on, the job is increasingly dirty and strenuous. At one point, he thinks he hears something inside the bedroom. He pauses, watches the door... And then gets back to work.

**LATER**

Finished, Mario cleans up. He turns the water on to make sure it flows smoothly. Afterwards, he lumbers out of the shower. In time, he approaches the door to Princess Peach's bedroom.

A beat. He turns the handle. Locked. He chooses not to knock.

**INT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH, FOYER | MOMENTS LATER**

Mario nears the bottom of a grand spiral staircase, a location currently occupied by a suddenly upbeat Toadsworth.

MARIO: Fixed.

TOADSWORTH: Tally-ho, fantastic!

As a reaction to Toadsworth's peculiar overexcitement, Mario inspects him upon reaching the foyer...

MARIO: The clog in that drain was severe.

TOADSWORTH: I don't recall you ever providing maintenance on it before. Routine wear and tear most likely. No matter, how much do we owe you for the service?

Extracting a pad from his overalls, Mario writes up an invoice and hands it to Toadsworth, who looks it over.

TOADSWORTH: Super Mario Brothers Plumbing, excellent work and always affordable... Say, how about I add in a bit of a bonus for all the trouble?

Toadsworth expects Mario to respond. He does not. So Toadsworth goes on to count coins out of a pouch that is strung around his waist...

TOADSWORTH: Actually, there's not much more here than what I intended to give you. Why not take the entire pouch?

Toadsworth unstrings the pouch from his waist and holds it out for Mario.

MARIO: The drain was badly clogged, yeah, but it was a regular job.

TOADSWORTH: For your troubles, Mario. Today and last night.

Mario considers what Toadsworth is alluding to... And then takes the pouch. He counts out what he is owed - and hands the rest back to Toadsworth, who flinches then continues.

TOADSWORTH: Of course, we can still expect you at Rescue Day in your usual role, playing your usual part?

MARIO: Why would you ask that?

TOADSWORTH: The plague has caused numerous stresses. Many people and toads have not been acting themselves. But you are a cherished hero, Mario, not only of this court, but also of the entire kingdom, as I had hoped the bonus I offered you would imply.

MARIO: Without me, there is no Rescue Day. I'll be there. Will Peach?

TOADSWORTH: Absolutely! In her very best gown and her very best mood. Yes!

MARIO: Goodbye, Toadsworth.

Mario walks past Toadsworth, leaving.

TOADSWORTH: Pip-pip, then. See you at the festivities!

**EXT. THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM | MORNING**

Luigi pulls up alongside Mario in a van with the Super Mario Brothers Plumbing logo on the side. Yoshi is in the back.

LUIGI: Thought you might want a ride. Saw a gang of afflicted back there, heading this way.

MARIO: You think I can't handle them on my own? Come on, what'd you find out about the Goomba?

LUIGI: Covered in sand. Sarasaland, if I had to bet. What do you think that tells us?

MARIO: Well, it's not the way they usually come for an abduction. But what could they accomplish with one stupid Goomba anyway?

Luigi looks in the rearview mirror. The procession of afflicted is nearing.

LUIGI: I don't know, but hop in. They're gonna be here in a minute.

Begrudgingly, Mario realizes his brother is probably right. He opens the van.

**I/E. VAN / THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM | MORNING**

Mario sits in the passenger seat, thinking. Luigi drives. Yoshi roams the back of the van, strapped to a short leash.

MARIO: Did you deal with Toad already too?

Luigi nods.

MARIO: What was his problem?

LUIGI: He actually wanted to talk to you.

MARIO: About what?

LUIGI: Your trip to the castle last night.

MARIO: I was at the castle this morning.

LUIGI: He heard something about you and the Princess. That was his 'emergency.'

MARIO: What did he say?

LUIGI: That you proposed...

MARIO: And what, Luigi?

LUIGI: She told you off.

MARIO: She was totally hammered-

LUIGI: I warned you.

MARIO: Which makes you what? A hero?

LUIGI: Forget it, Mario.

Silence.

A beat.

MARIO: What's Toad want? Is he writing a story about it?

LUIGI: He has no idea what to do. He kept saying he couldn't believe it, over and over. But he was also trying to understand why she didn't show up to look at the floats...

MARIO: He knows she had a cold.

LUIGI: Is that really enough reason-

MARIO: She's seen all the floats before, Luigi. The castle makes them. She didn't need to go.

LUIGI: Okay.

Mario looks out his window. A young toad, age 11, runs alongside the van, trying to flag it down. The boy's face is spotted with the plague, and he only has one arm. To us, he will be known as the ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: Mario, Mario! Super Mario!

Mario shields his eyes, turns his head. The boy stops chasing the van. Remaining visible to Mario in the side view mirror, he goes so still it becomes sad, as if the life has been sucked out of him... Before fading away, deflated.

Up ahead, a pack of afflicted clogs the road. At the center of the pack, a man showcases a woman. The flesh on her face has been eaten away.

The van inches towards them. Luigi lays on the horn.

The afflicted slide away to avoid being struck. They canvas the side of the vehicle. In the back, Yoshi growls and snaps.

The van clears the crowd without further incident, but the burden of the plague is oppressive. It takes a while for the brothers to speak.

MARIO: Should I talk to him? Rescue Day's tomorrow. How much can he write before then?

LUIGI: Do you care what he writes?

MARIO: Of course I care what he writes.

Luigi parks. They're home.

MARIO: Be careful getting out. We should power wash the van.

Before Mario opens the door -

LUIGI: I know you didn't ask, and you don't need my help, but I think you should skip Rescue Day altogether.

MARIO: Come on Luigi, I can't do that.

LUIGI: You can do whatever you want. The way she acted, you don't deserve that.

Mario opens the door and gets out. He starts to walk away but stops to look back at his brother.

MARIO: You've wanted to save the Princess forever.

LUIGI: Ah geeze, Mario. Not this again.

MARIO: But you've never even tried. Why?

LUIGI: You always take the lead.

MARIO: You could try to beat me.

Luigi doesn't answer.

MARIO: Maybe I should have spent more time trying to figure out a way to kill Bowser.

LUIGI: You might still have a chance.

MARIO: We both might.

A beat.

MARIO: I don't think it's anything by the way.

LUIGI: What?

MARIO: The Goomba. Keep an eye out, but unless we find more let's assume it was just a stray.

Luigi nods.

MARIO: I'll think about Rescue Day.

He goes.

**INT. PRINCESS PEACH'S BEDROOM | NIGHT**

The Princess is awake. A standing clothes rack, overloaded with potential gowns for Rescue Day, is set up behind her. She wears one option now, modeling it for herself in front of a wall-length ceiling-height mirror.

PRINCESS PEACH: It's not perfect.

She removes the dress and strips down to her underwear, revealing a body that has been finely tuned using all the tools wealth can buy. Still, she turns sideways and sucks in her non-existent belly.

She presses her hands against the "flab" at the base of her waist. Both hands, as well as her forearms, up to her elbows, remain draped in white gloves, as we saw earlier.

Peach faces the mirror straight on. She tugs at the fingers on her left glove, loosening them.

She does the same to the right. Then she shakes both of her arms violently until the gloves slide all the way off, uncovering her forearms...

Patches of the plague run across her flesh, thus explaining the reason for the gloves.

The sight, while not a surprise, drives her to tears.

**EXT. TOAD'S HOME | NIGHT**

A single light is on inside...

**INT. TOAD'S HOME, OFFICE | NIGHT**

Toad stands at a desk in front of a typewriter. He pecks at the keys, not because he doesn't know how to type, but because he isn't sure what to say.

The paper in the typewriter reads "Sources say" and nothing else. Toad has typed these two words upwards of twenty times.

There is a knock on his window. He looks -

Mario is tapping on the glass with his pipe wrench. He glares at Toad. Through the window, he loudly says -

MARIO: It didn't happen.

He does not release his gaze from Toad, who eventually takes the piece of paper out of the typewriter and tears it up.

Mario responds by turning away from the window. He stops half in shadow and half in a pool of street light to look back at Toad one last time before leaving...

**EXT. SARASALAND | NIGHT**

Foot soldiers stream inside the same green pipe we saw Daisy disappear into. Bowser, the Hammer Brothers, Ludwig, and Larry also approach. Gnarled and Bruised enter first, then Larry, who - like the Hammer Brothers - is plague-less.

Eyeing Larry's healthy skin, Bowser stops Ludwig.

BOWSER: You haven't done it yet, have you?

LUDWIG: I was waiting-

BOWSER: Do it in the tunnel.

LUDWIG: Why don't you?

BOWSER: For years you've resisted adopting my methodologies. Why?

LUDWIG: Because I've seen them fail.

BOWSER: But I've finally adjusted. This is a new path. You are my son, Ludwig. I want you to be ready for the world that is coming.

LUDWIG: What difference does it make? You afflicted me with the plague already. You keep me from my music. I'm on an accelerated path towards death, nothing else.

Ludwig begins to climb the pipe.

BOWSER: No. We are on an accelerated path towards something else altogether.

LUDWIG: If what you claim is true then why haven't you told anyone else about it besides me?

BOWSER: You are my confidant. I don't expect them to understand.

Ludwig looks back at his father.

BOWSER: Not until after the Princess is in my clutches.

Ludwig drops down into the pipe. Bowser goes next. His hulking frame just barely fits inside its diameter.

**EXT. STAR PARK | MORNING**

The largest park in the Mushroom Kingdom, centered around a monument-sized sculpture of an INVINCIBILITY STAR. The entrance is where the Rescue Day parade launches from - and therefore where all the floats are set up.

Behind the scenes, the Princess is having her makeup and hair done. She is anxious. As expected, she is wearing long white gloves with her trailing pink gown.

Next to the Princess, in an accompanying chair, is Mario, getting his hair trimmed. He is dressed in a tuxedo. His signature red cap rests in his lap.

He came after all - if ever there was any doubt.

Mario and the Princess are both trapped in their own minds. Neither speaks to one another or to the hair and makeup personnel.

When Mario finally looks towards the Princess, however, he can't help but notice her demeanor. He picks up on something else, too. Quietly, he says -

MARIO: You've never worn gloves to Rescue Day before.

PRINCESS PEACH: It's a new- A new look. For the thirtieth anniversary. This is the new me.

Her agitation betrays the confidence in her words. Mario offers a supportive thought -

MARIO: You look good. I like them.

She smiles. After a moment...

PRINCESS PEACH: I remember what I said the other night. Mario grows visibly uncomfortable.

MARIO: And?

PRINCESS PEACH: I had too much to drink.

MARIO: That was obvious.

The Princess scratches her left forearm over top of the long white glove.

PRINCESS PEACH: You've always been very kind to me. We've shared so much over the years. I wouldn't be me without you.

MARIO: I could say the same thing.

PRINCESS PEACH: It would be nice to hear you say it out loud.

MARIO: Did you forget about the talk we had in your bathroom?

PRINCESS PEACH: There should be a more elegant word for that room don't you think?

MARIO: I almost threw away the present I was going to give you, but I couldn't do it.

PRINCESS PEACH: It would be reason to hold one more luxurious celebration, it truly would.

She reaches out, touches his arm.

PRINCESS PEACH: Maybe it's something we talk about again after the parade.

Abruptly, she pulls her hand away from Mario, using it to scratch her other arm. He watches her.

MARIO: Be careful you don't rip the glove.

She stops scratching.

MARIO: I could give it to you at the endof the parade. Would be a big surprise, lot of excitement...

PRINCESS PEACH: Let's just try to make it through this first.

**LATER**

Spirited on by Toadsworth, Mario and the Princess board a float in unison. The float is a basic recreation of Bowser's throne room, complete with a papier-mache version of Bowser, toppled, rummaging on his back.

In the process, they expose themselves to a small crowd of insiders, including Toad, who is here covering the proceedings. He appears troubled until...

Mario puts his hand on the Princess's back. They both beam. They bow together.

Toad sees that all looks right with the world.

TOAD: Mario! It's lovely to see you and the Princess together!

He dashes back and forth capturing photographs from every angle as the chain of floats embarks.

**EXT. PARADE ROUTE | DAY**

While the floats move through the Mushroom Kingdom, a flood of citizens watches from the curb, showering Mario and Peach with adulation and a seemingly endless stream of confetti.

Toad trails their float from the sidelines, following its every move, scribbling notes and taking photos when he sees fit.

Luigi is also here, alone, to show support for his brother, although that support is decidedly muted. He is part of a crowd of healthy humans and toads near the road.

The afflicted have been segregated from this crowd, pushed far away from the parade route.

Guards from the palace, wielding batons and covered in scrubs, hoods, and gloves stalk the line to keep the peace - and maintain separation.

The afflicted can barely see Mario and the Princess over top of the excited, healthy throngs of supporters. Consequently, Mario and the Princess cannot really see them either.

As a result, the couple's mood has only gotten sunnier. The problems of the Mushroom World are forgotten. They move closer together, openly flirting, the adoration of the masses affecting them.

Toad relishes the moment, noting, "What exists behind the scenes, or caught up in the moment?"

For Luigi on the other hand, knowing what he knows, the shows of affection are too much for him to take. He grumpily makes his way out of the crowd, leaving the parade route behind and circumnavigating the afflicted - who pay him no mind.

Rather, they SHOUT WORDS OF ANGER at MARIO and PEACH.

THE ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY WE SAW RUN AFTER THE BROTHERS' VAN HURLS A ROCK -

It STRIKES the BASE OF THE FLOAT. Mario notices the sound. He glances, unable to tell what caused it, before returning his attention to the Princess and to the path of the parade -

As it suddenly becomes evident One-Armed Toad boy has unleashed a MAELSTROM OF VIOLENT DISSENT.

THE AFFLICTED SHOWER MARIO AND THE PRINCESS WITH ROCKS. They take cover - WHILE THE AFFLICTED CHARGE TOWARDS THE PARADE ROUTE.

The palace guards fight them back, using blunt weapons. But the afflicted outnumber the guards five-to-one. They OVERWHELM them, TEAR at their PROTECTIVE CLOTHING.

The healthy PANIC. They SCATTER.

Toad turns his camera every which way, undoubtedly producing shaky, blurry photos...

AS THE PARADE TURNS INTO A FULL BLOWN RIOT.

Luigi, fully outside the action, freezes. His mind races. He looks over his shoulder, to where he parked the Super Mario Brothers van -

LUIGI: They're scared of Yoshi...

On the float, Mario continues to shroud the Princess. He is pelted by rocks. He yells at the FLOAT OPERATOR, a toad -

MARIO: Can you speed this thing up?!

FLOAT OPERATOR: I'm taxing the motor already!

The Princess is shaking. To her, Mario says -

MARIO: We're gonna make it.

Guards fall back against the float, defending it in service to the crown and the hero. They manage to slow the afflicted down, creating an opening that Mario spots -

MARIO: Hang on to me, I think I can get us to a safe spot.

The Princess wraps her arms around Mario's waist. He grips her by the shoulders. They move to the edge of the float - but the guards could only hold off the afflicted for so long. Mario pulls up -

PRINCESS PEACH: What are you waiting for?!

MARIO: The gap closed!

The Princess screams as the afflicted reach the float. They claw at it, attempting to climb up the base even as it's moving. Mario retreats with her to the center of the float -

The palace guard cannot slow down the afflicted. Others, however, can.

In the distance, a SHADOW falls over top of the ensuing parade route.

BOWSER. Alone. Nearly three times as large as any toad or human and fully armored, minus the helmet.

HE IS COMING FOR THE PRINCESS.

MARIO: Bowser... He's here.

The Princess peeks out from underneath Mario's grasp -

PRINCESS PEACH: But it hasn't been him since the first time. It's always the Hammer Brothers-

MARIO: When I'm not around or with you. He doesn't do _this_.

A beat.

PRINCESS PEACH: Run.

MARIO: What?

PRINCESS PEACH: Let him take me. It's chaos here. You're without weapons. This isn't your turf. But you know how to rescue me from Dark Land.

Mario has time to survey the area because the afflicted have begun to back off -

Although Bowser is still too far away to be able to see Mario and Peach yet, awareness of his presence - and fear - is rapidly spreading amongst the afflicted.

MARIO: I can't just run. Everyone will think-

PRINCESS PEACH: They already think you can't save them. So save me, Mario. Like you always do. Like I know you can. Not now, but when it's right.

Mario takes his arms off the Princess. He steps to the rear of the float before turning and looking at her...

And then he JUMPS.

When he hits the ground, he runs like hell. For a worn down middle-aged man, Mario still has a burst of life in his step when he needs it.

From afar, Toad, open-mouthed, stunned, watches... As does Luigi, from the opposite side of the parade route. He has gone nowhere. Done nothing. Now, he can't believe his brother is fleeing...

LUIGI: What's he doing?

Luigi pivots as Bowser bears down on the float. The Princess stands still, facing her soon-to-be captor. In the background, Toad scrambles away...

While we notice Bowser's path of destruction is precise. He is taking care not to target any of the afflicted. He lets this be known to them -

BOWSER: You have nothing to fear.

For Luigi, there is a clear path to the float.

LUIGI: I could make it.

And he could. We know he could. But he hesitates - Bowser does not.

He BLOWS FLAMES at the few remaining GUARDS. None escape. SCREAMS as their flesh burns in the street and the fire spreads. An INFERNO.

Luigi breathes a sigh of relief that he didn't make the effort. He has seen enough. He FLEES, cutting past the afflicted, who are terrified despite Bowser's inexplicable assurances.

BOWSER HAMMERS BOTH FISTS INTO THE FLOAT, BREAKING IT IN HALF.

The Float Operator is CRUSHED. The Princess careens into the ground. Bowser SNATCHES HER with his armor-covered claw. He stares into her eyes. She is crying.

BOWSER: Are those tears real or are they merely an act? She looks back at him. From this vantage point, it is clear -

The PLAGUE has migrated to his FACE. The FLESH on his cheek has started to ERODE.

PRINCESS PEACH: You're afflicted...

BOWSER: Only if you mistakenly consider the plague an affliction.

Her tears intensify. These most certainly are real.

PRINCESS PEACH: Mario will save me. He always does.

BOWSER: He is here now though, is he not? He didn't care to stop me...

PRINCESS PEACH: He's best able to rescue me in Dark Land.

BOWSER: Not this time.

PRINCESS PEACH: When have you not uttered those words? Your jealousy is your undoing. You will always lose to us.

Her tears alleviate slightly at this assertion.

BOWSER: I admit jealousy once drove my ambitions to send your kingdom into turmoil... But that was long ago replaced by my desire for vengeance against you and Mario. And now even that is replaced by something new.

Bowser finishes his response by clamping down over top of her face. She SCREAMS. He silences her. And, for the Princess, everything goes DARK.

END ACT ONE.


End file.
